The Valour, The Horror - Kathy Figueroa

Ypres, the Somme, Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele…
The Enemy was fearsome, but destined to fail
Before the might of the Canadian Expeditionary Force
Brave-hearted men who changed history’s course

Let us not forget the young lives lost
The tremendous toll, the human cost
The valour, the horror, the pain, the gore
The battles waged on a foreign shore

Let us remember torn flesh, blood, and bone
That mingled with mud, water, sand, and stone
…Europe’s ridges, trenches, beaches, and plains
Are scattered with fragments of human remains

Of good men who knew not if they’d perish
To uphold ideals that we cherish
Who risked their lives for future generations
With a hope of peace among the nations

November 11, 1918, was Armistice Day
The warfare stopped and peace held sway
One hundred years later, let us remember still
And strive for peace, harmony, and goodwill

Lest we forget.

Kathy Figueroa

This poem is dedicated to the memory of a veteran of World War I and
member of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, Peter Harman, my grandfather.